Love Backfires
by TerraSucks4evur
Summary: After being dumped by Joanne, Maureen finds herself trying to make her jealous.But when her desperate attempts force her to get with Mark Cohen, Maureen finds she may be falling for a certain filmmaker instead...
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first RENT fic. So please review!**

**A/N: I absolutely adore the Mark/Maureen pairing, so yeah… The movie's going to rock!**

"Maureen, we have to talk." Joanne's voice was calm and soft. She tapped the sofa gently and Maureen strode over and sat close to her lesbian lover. "Yes, Pookie?" Maureen said sweetly. She flung her dark curls behind her and waited for a response from Joanne.

Joanne took a deep breath. "Maureen… I- I've decided… I'm…I'm…I'm going straight." She finally said in a strangled voice. She hated herself for doing this. Maureen's joyful expression slowly faded from her face

"Did I hear you correctly, because I thought I just heard you say you're going straight." Maureen said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "Maureen," Joanne said, standing up to meet her now ex-lover. "It's not you… you're absolutely perfect." She finished slowly. "Then where's the problem?" Maureen said, her tone getting louder.

_Joanne closed her eyes. "It's not that," she said, opening them. "It's just, I met this wonderful man today, at the Life… and I realized… I should be straight." She finished, expanding her arms dramatically for the last few words. Maureen felt her eyes welling up with tears. "I can't believe you…" she muttered quietly. _

_Her expression grew angry and her voice rose. " So you're dumping me for some stupid guy you just met?" she yelled. "Maureen! I never said it was him!" Joanne quarreled back_

"_But it's true!" Maureen said, her voice cracking. "I gave you some of the best nights of my life, and this is how you repay me?" Maureen She cursed loudly. "Will you ever think of someone else but yourself for once? All we ever do is talk about you, your needs, your problems-what about me? How do you think it feels?" Joanne hollered._

_Maureen scrunched up her face. She turned t the coffee table and picked up a small glass. With a loud grunt, she chucked it at Joanne, who was lucky enough to dodge it. Ina huffy manner, Joanne picked up her sweater and, without a word, walked out the door, and slammed it shut._

"_Yeah, get outta here." Maureen said cussing her out as if she were still in the room. It took Maureen a few moments to realize what had just happened. Joanne was gone, and this time, it was for good._

The early morning sunlight shone through the window and across Maureen's face. She began to stir and stretched. "Morning baby," she said turning over to see the middle of the bed. Her eyes weren't open, but she continued to talk, forgetting Joanne wasn't there. "I had such a horrible dream, pookie." She murmured feeling around the bed for Joanne.

"Pookie?" she whispered, lifting her head up to see. She realized she was fully awake when Joanne wasn't lying beside her. Maureen pushed her comforter off her and got out of bed. She looked down at her near bare body, wearing only tight lingerie that was totally see-through. She put on a red robe and walked out of the bedroom.

"Joanne, where the hellare you? Don't make me beg." She said groggily. She rubbed her eyes and walked into the main room. It was then when she realized where Joanne had gone. Her eyes focused on the broken glass on the floor near the door.

Maureen gave a sad sigh and turned away from the door. She headed back into the bedroom and changed. Maybe a night out with the group would cheer her up. They had been planning to go see a movie later that night, but maybe she could find something to do to pass the time.

In Mark and Roger's loft, the morning had also woken up the friends. Mark slowly awoke. His head still buried in his pillow, his hand made its way to the nightstand and onto his thick glasses.

He lifted his head and put them on. He looked at the time. 10:00 a.m. "Oh, God.." he moaned. He'd have to get up soon to go get lunch before meeting his friends in his apartment for dinner and a movie.

Tired, he stood up and began to get dressed. Roger was at Mimi's, so no worry there. After brushing his hair and eating a piece of toast, he put on a blue plaid T-shirt with a brown jacket over and blue jeans. Just as he was about to leave though, there was a knock on his door.

Curiously, Mark opened the door, only to find Maureen Johnson, his ex, lingering in the doorway. "Um… hi?" he said awkwardly. Maybe t was the way she was dressed. Tight dark blue jeans, with a tight black midriff showing her slender figure, with a black leather jacket over it all. "Mark? Mind if we talk?" she asked quietly.

Mark, slightly skeptical about all this, bit his lip. "Um sure. Do you want to go for lunch?" he asked, still feeling awkward from her sexy attire.

"Are you asking me out then?" Maureen giggled. Mark shrugged and nodded. "Okay." "It's a date then." She laughed. Mark followed her out the door, and closed it, wondering what was up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for the reviews! Luv you guys!**

The early afternoon sunlight flooded the Life Café as Maureen and Mark sat down at a table in the corner. "So what exactly did you want to talk about?" Mark asked, settling down in his chair.

Maureen fiddled with her straw and twisted her face in a depressed way. "Okay, now I know you think it's stupid, but… Joanne left, again." She added. Mark didn't look the least bit surprised.

"Well, aren't you gonna say something?" she retorted. Mark bit his lip nervously. He didn't have much to say.

"This happens all the time, doesn't it?" he pointed out.

"Well, yeah." Maureen admitted. It was true. They were always breaking up, then getting back together, and so on… but this time it was different. Maureen felt tears stinging her hazel eyes.

"She's not coming back." She stated shortly. She did her best to avoid eye contact with Mark by looking out the window, her tears gone and Mark's curiosity increasing. She tapped the table with her right hand, something she did when she was nervous, which was rare. She stopped when she felt something warm lay upon her hand.

She looked up to see Mark, his face filled with compassion, staring at her. "I get it." Mark said softly, almost reading her mind. Maureen shook her head sadly.

"No, you don't know what it's like when someone you've truly, deeply loved, betrays just like that."

There was a pause.

"Actually, I do."

Another pause.

Maureen, understanding his point, pulled her hand away from his and stared out the window once more. "I'm sorry." She said quietly.

This was a very awkward time, for there had never been a moment like this between the two friends before. They were silent for a few minutes when Mark broke the silence. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Maureen's eyes rolled to meet Mark's. Her frown vanished and was replaced with a smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she said sarcastically. She gave a hearty laugh that Mark couldn't help but love.

"Well, I was hoping to make her jealous… you know, find someone willing to help me make her jealous." She examined her fingernails before letting her seductive gaze fall onto Mark. He froze.

Her lips curved into a thin, seductive smile. "Can you help?" she asked, standing up and leaning over the table. She could tell he was getting nervous. Mark began sweating. "Oh, um, well…" he stammered, tugging at his collar.

"Marky, baby," she said sweetly "You know you don't have to be nervous around me anymore, right?' she said. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're cool." She paused. "So can you help?" she asked once more.

Mark felt her face moving towards his, but he raised a hand and said "Maureen- I-I can't do this- even as a game." He finished finally. Maureen looked confused, but caught it. "Lesbian, huh?" she murmured. He nodded limply.

Maureen smiled once again. This time, she came around the table and found her way onto his right leg, sticking out from under the table. She leaned back against his body and whispered into his ear "Please?" she waited for an answer.

Mark feared his decision. He was defeated. Her charm had lured him to her once again, and there was no escaping her seductive lure. He sighed. "All right." He murmured. Maureen sat up. "Wonderful!" she exclaimed. She turned on his lap to face him.

Maureen leaned forward. "May I?' she smiled. Mark gave a defeated smile. "Go ahead." he said, and Maureen's lips found his. After a few moments, or two, Mark gave up. _What the hell, let it last._ He thought and kissed her back.

Maureen was slightly unaware of how good a kisser Mark was, but didn't show it. She pulled back and licked her lower lip. "But remember Mark, it's just temporary." She reminded him thoughtfully. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as she stood up.

"Bye, pookie!" she exclaimed jokingly and sped out the door. Mark's eyes followed her wearily. _Temporarily, _he thought. He hadn't been quite over Maureen, so he felt his heart do a little flip when she had kissed him. IT had been over a year, and Mark missed Maureen dearly. He took a sip of is drink, paid for lunch, and walked out onto the street, now flooded with the cool, winter afternoon air. He kicked the ground as he trudged back home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm gonna try and make the chapters longer, so I'll do my best! I love you guys!**

**Harper's Pixie : Aw.. I think this will be a cute fic… so more please!**

**Elphie Marky: Sounds good so far… keep writing.**

**To NO Absolutes: I like it. Update soon.**

**PinkElphaba: Oh wicked Maureen! Poor Marky! I was too lazy to review after reading the first chapter but now I'm curious to see what where this is going! Update! T.M.**

Back at Mimi's apartment, the young dancer slept soundly next to her lover. She stirred slightly, waking Roger up. His eyelids tightened, then eased and finally opened. He blinked a bit, forgetting where he was. He took one look around the room and remembered he was at Mimi's apartment.

He stretched his arms, trying to not hit Mimi, moving a bit in her sleep. He pushed himself up from the sofa and sat upright. He pressed his hand to his head. He didn't feel so hot, but he knew what it was from.

The dream

He had had a nightmare. Mimi was sick- dying- and in the hospital. "Please Roger… don't leave me…" she said softly. She was pale and thin, and Roger hated to see he like that. She clung onto him, not letting go an inch. "Mimi- I'm not leaving- you are." He managed to get out. It had hurt him to say that. The dream was basically Mimi- finally dying from her illness.

Just then, she began to move, this time, not in her sleep. She let out a breath of air, and then inhaled deeply. SHE felt around and took hold of Roger's hand. Roger froze. HE couldn't let Mimi know of his dream. It would kill her.

Mimi looked up at him, her brown eyes searching his face. Roger couldn't read the expression on her face. "Something wrong?" Mimi asked. Roger shook his head, trying to look as tired as possible. Mimi eyed him suspiciously, her eyes gently searching his. She then stood up off the couch and looked at the clock.

"Oh my God!" Mimi exclaimed. "What now?" Roger asked grumpily. Mimi whirled around. "It's two o'clock!" she retorted. "So?" the ex-junkie said lazily. Mimi rolled her eyes. "We're supposed to be meeting the others in four hours." She said dumbly.

"Oh yeah," Roger said, rubbing his eyes. He stood up and walked to Mimi's bedroom to change.

Maureen rummaged through her closet, looking for the perfect outfit to go meet the gang. It was also her first time posing as Mark's girlfriend. She cursed when an outfit that she thought had looked good, but then didn't, passed her mind. She then came across something she really liked.

It was a tight red spaghetti strap shirt. She then picked out a tight, black skirt that hung to right above her knees. She put on thick, black sandals, and put her black leather jacket on. She examined herself in the mirror and grinned seductively. She turned off the lights and waltzed out the door and to Mark's apartment.

She looked at her watch and knocked on the door. She licked her lips patiently and a few seconds later, Mark opened the door. "Oh, hi Maureen." He said, caught of guard a bit. "I thought you would've been at least a little bit late." He said. Maureen didn't mind his small comment, but just glided past him and into his loft. SHE closed the door and faced him.

He was only half-dressed, wearing his blue jeans and sneakers, but he only wore a white tank top, probably an undershirt, over his upper body. Maureen could easily tell that Mark was slightly nervous about Maureen's sexy attire.

"Maureen- I thought- maybe you, um…" Mark said, trying not to stare at her lower body. Maureen came close to him and put a finger to his lips. "Mark, calm down. It's not real; you have nothing to worry about. Nothing's gonna happen." She stated simply. "But," she added. "You have to kiss me at least once, and at least try, to act like my boyfriend. Joanne is still coming, and this is one of my only chances to get her back." Maureen explained.

Mark nodded in agreement. "Um… okay…' he started, but then, Maureen took hold of Mark's hand and squeezed it slightly. "Pookie." He added on, getting the memo.

"So… we still have to wait for the others…" Maureen said, her curved smile turning into a thin, seductive one. "Well, I have to go put on a shirt." He said, gesturing to his bedroom. Maureen nodded and sat down on the sofa.

A few minutes later, Mark came out of the bedroom, a flannel shirt on and wearing a black jacket. Maureen smiled as he came into her vision. Though on anybody else, those clothes would be geeky, Mark could really pull the look off. HE looked so adorable in those clothes, his glasses made him look so shy and adorable, and cute…

Maureen stopped at the thought. She should definitely _not _be thinking about Mark this way. Though to Maureen… it was true. She giggled and Mark raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What was that for?" he asked. "Noting." Maureen stifled another giggle.

Mark took a good look around the loft, as if she had never been there before. "It hasn't changed much." Mark said, noticing she was examining his apartment. He took a spot on the sofa beside his ex.

His ex…

Mark put a sad, lonely expression on his face without realizing it. He stared at the carpet, remembering all the fun they had together, when Maureen had first told him how adorable he was to her, and how flustered he had been and thought she was talking to someone else. Maureen had then set a date up for the two, and by he end of the date, they were in they were both making out on Mark's couch. Nothing else had happened. Mark said he hadn't been ready quite yet, and Maureen had been nice enough to understand.

His memories had been interrupted by Maureen's voice. "Mark?" she asked, placing a hand on his knee. Mark's head shot up and Maureen pulled back a bit, mainly because they were only inches apart. "Yeah?" he answered. "Something wrong sweetie?" she said, placing a hand on his cheek. Mark hid the tingling and happy sensation that he felt

"No…I-I'm fine, thanks." He said, taking her hand and placing it on her lap. Maureen scooted a bit closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. She licked her lip uncertainly, but let her eyes roam around the room. Mark stiffened his body as Maureen playfully let two fingers run up his chest. He looked away and smiled to himself. He felt like grabbing her and kissing her passionately, confessing his strong feelings for her. Instead, he merely turned to face he.

His head turned to look down at her and he took her two fingers in his hand. She raised her head to look at him, and her eyes drowned in his. Mark melted in her loving gaze and without realizing it, felt his face moving closer to hers, and vice versa. Their faces were about half an inch apart when…

There was a knock on the door.

Maureen blinked and looked flustered. She noticed Mark was also blushing. "I'd better get that." He said quickly, stumbling up. He made his way to the door, but a thought crossed both Mark and Maureen's minds.

What had just happened? Were they both about to kiss each other, because they _wanted _to? Were they truly falling for each other? Both of them shook the thought out of their mind, hoping to get through the night.

Maureen's gaze followed Mark as he walked over to the door, and strangely, though she didn't deny it, a warm feeling began to grow in the pit of her stomach.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about the wait! This entire week I've been memorizing my music for one of my shows at an elementary school in two weeks! It's tiring, but I love it! Anyways, let's continue, shall we?**

Maureen watched Mark head to the door and place his hand on the knob. She saw him slightly turn it, and the two both saw Roger's head poke through, grinning. "Miss me?" he said. Maureen laughed.

"Oh yeah. We couldn't stand the thought about not seeing for fifteen more minutes." He said in a sarcastic, dreamy tone. Suddenly, Mimi's head came into view.

"Whoa. Did I just hear that correctly? Since when were you gay, Marky? I obviously must've missed something." She joked around. Mimi pushed the door opened, and taking Roger's hand, walked into the loft, dragging her lover in with her.

Roger glanced in Maureen's direction. "You're here early…" he stated in an unfriendly tone. It wasn't mean, but was a smart remark, which was plain to everyone. Mimi smacked Roger on the back. "Shut up!" she hissed. Roger rubbed the back of his shoulder and made a face. "Sorry, he murmured to Maureen, barely looking up at her.

Roger and Maureen had never really gotten along, and Roger was just never comfortable around Maureen, probably because she had once dumped his best friend for another woman.

Maureen smiled and stood up, taking a step to become adjacent with Mark's side. "Well if you _must_ know," she started, closing her eyes. She opened her eyes, taking Mark's hand in hers.

Apparently, both Roger and Mimi had caught this, which both Maureen and Mark had found amusing.

"Oh God, no…" Roger trailed off.

Mimi clasped her hands together. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, a high-pitched shriek escaping her mouth. Mimi looked happy, while Roger looked miserable, but confused. Unsure, more than anything, but he said nothing, nothing but "Again?"

Mark glanced in Maureen's direction. "You could say that." He squeezed Maureen's hand a bit and bit his lip. Roger smirked.

"It was only a matter of time before they got back together. I mean, Mark was always a sucker for Maureen- he would've done _anything _for her." He turned to Mimi. "If this girl had told him to go strip in the rain, believe me, he would." Roger said, laughing. Mimi's jaw dropped slightly as she began to laugh.

"I'd like to see that!" she joked, nudging the filmmaker and laughing harder. Roger had joined her.

Mark's face reddened at this subject. He didn't know what to say. Yes, he would've done practically done anything fro Maureen, but stripping in the rain was _way _too far over the border.

Maureen giggled and caught Mark's gaze. "Really? You're a sucker for me?" she said in a childish tone. "You bug sweetie." She giggled, throwing her arms around Mark's neck and locking them behind his head. Her lips caught Mark's and she kissed him fiercely. Mark was so stunned from how deep it was, there was almost no way to detach his lips from hers, and almost impossible to free himself form her grasp. He kissed her back just as fiercely, and the two others sat there, enjoying this scene greatly.

Roger wolf-whistled. "So… when's the wedding?" he asked. Maureen pulled away, her cold eyes burning into Roger's innocent, scared ones. She gave him the coldest of stares, which turned Roger icy cold and he said. "All right! God… women…" he muttered.

Mimi's shining eyes had now lost their shimmer. "Wait… what about Joanne?' she asked, puzzled. Maureen flapped her hand and scoffed. "Joanne dumped me for a man, which gave me the idea about being straight, so here I am, back with Mark." She said, turning to face him as she breathed his name.

Mark pulled her back into a deep passionate kiss, and Mimi's expression lit up once more. Roger rolled his eyes, but smiled. Suddenly, a knock n the door tore the apart. Mimi strolled over to the door and opened it- Benny and Collins.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Collins said, walking in, Benny following behind. "Oh nothing." Roger smirked. Collins stopped. 'Okay, something's definitely up. I can tell by the way Roger just said that."

"Well," Roger said, sticking his hands in his jean pockets. "It seems as if our two unlikely love birds are back together." Collins and Benny both turned to face Maureen and Mark, who they had just noticed, with their arms wrapped around each other. "Damn!" Collins and Benny said in unison.

They stood their, gawking at the two. Collins was the first to recover. "All right then." He smiled. They talked for a while, all of them, awaiting the arrival of Joanne and her new lover.

About ten minutes later, there was another knock on the door. Everyone grew silent and Benny opened the door. Joanne stepped in with a man by her side. Everyone greeted Joanne as if nothing were wrong. Hi guys!" Joanne said. "As you know," she said, after settling down," I have broken up with Maureen." She turned to Maureen. "Please know that I'm sorry Mo." She said sincerely.

"Oh! If you don't mind, Joanne. No need to feel sorry. I'm in love once more!" she said dramatically. She turned to Joanne. "I'm with Mark." she said. Joanne tried hard not to laugh.

Once she straightened up, Joanne stood upright. "This is my boyfriend, Michael Platt." She gestured to a tall, African-American man. He looked shy, around his late twenties, and he waved. He looked nervous.

He received greeting from everyone, including Maureen. After about twenty minutes of lingering, Roger announced it was time to go. They all stood up and walked out the door. Joanne eyed Mark warily. Mark shrugged and gave a smile which Joanne returned sincerely. Mark wrapped his arms around Maureen's waist, pulling her close, and gently nuzzling her neck in a friendly way as they walked out the door. Maureen lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Mmm…" Maureen breathed, then whispered a bit. "Keep it up, Mark." She breathed in a business-like tone. Mark's arms roamed up and down her sides and Maureen giggled.

But for some strange reason, Maureen enjoyed Mark caressing her like that. She missed him and his love for her. He was loyal to her, and she missed him.

Mark wished the moment would never end as he continued to play around with Maureen. He let go of her waist and took her hand as they walked out of the apartment. _Good luck to me, _he thought.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! You know what to do! Click the review button. Down a little bit more… I'll update soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So I hope you guys are enjoying this story! Everything's been going really good so far, so I'm trying to keep up with you people!

**I don't own Rent… or Mark… darn it… Oh, sorry. Here ya go!**

The black velvet sky had left a small gap between its clouds for the moon. It was chilly outside, and Maureen cuddled up next to Mark as they walked. He held on to her tightly, also feeling cool. "Don't worry Mark," she said softly. "You're doing great."

The calm, peaceful air brushed against Maureen's face, blowing her hair lightly. Mark smiled down at Maureen, who returned the smile.

Mark looked away and continued to walk. Only Benny's voice broke his thoughts. "I'm hoping you're not intending on dancing on the tables again." He said in a drawling voice.

Roger playfully smacked him as the Life Café came into view. "Shut up, Benny. Don't act like you've never stood up, danced on the table, and acted like a total idiot before."

Benny shook his head "Nope. I got nothing." They walked into the café and sat down at a table in the corner. Maureen sat on Mark's lap, and Mimi just laughed.

"Do you have to do that everywhere we go?" the dancer queried, sighing tiredly. Maureen raised an eyebrow. "Got a problem?" she asked, but her frown disappeared, and a smile replaced it. "Just kidding," Maureen scoffed as she turned to face Mark.

"So… when are the kids getting here?" Roger asked, pulling Mimi onto his lap. Mark blushed a little, but Maureen didn't look the least bit embarrassed. "Roger- do us a favor and shut up, for once." Collins and Benny laughed, and Joanne and Michael, exchanging smiles.

Maureen turned around again, her back facing Mark's chest. She leaned back and he wrapped his arms around her slender stomach. Mimi glanced around the café, and noticed some people were staring at the two, smiling.

"You guys!" Mimi whispered fiercely. "People are staring!" Maureen slipped off her "boyfriend's" lap and onto the seat beside him. Mark slipped his hand into hers under the table unperceived. Maureen's eyes drifted up to him and she grinned. Mark returned the grin, his eyes shining behind his thick, dark glasses.

Suddenly, the waitress appeared and took their order, and Collins looked slightly distraught. Roger apparently saw this.

"What's wrong, Collins?" Roger asked apprehensively. Collins looked up. "Oh, nothing." He said, glancing around the room. Roger nodded, but knew what was going on inside Collins head.

Angel.

Angel was Collins lover who had died, exactly 11 months ago. Roger realized that Collins was thinking when they had all met Angel and Mimi, when all the friends had had a little get together.

Roger glanced up at Mark, and Mark, thinking up a storm, grinned. Roger had almost realized what he meant and his jaw dropped as Mark helped himself up onto the table.

He looked around the room, all eyes on him. Summoning up his courage, Mark took a deep breath and began to speak:

"Sorry to interrupt everyone, but… "He looked down at Maureen, gaping at him. "I would like to make a toast to our dear friend Angel, on the anniversary of his death."

Maureen looked at Mark as if seeing him in a whole new light. Mark had never been that brave to stand up on a table on the middle of a restaurant, and toast something. She smiled and handed him his glass. "To Angel." Maureen murmured.

Mark nodded. "To Angel." He repeated. Mimi and Roger did the same, as well as Collins and Benny. Joanne toasted to Angel, but Michael had something to say.

"I don't know who Angel was, but, for the anniversary of his death…" he raised his glass. "To Angel." The friends grinned as the other the other people in the café also did the same. Once everyone was done, Roger stood up on the table.

"And I would like to dedicate tonight to my friend Mark here-" he put an arm around Mark-" And his new girlfriend Maureen." Roger gestured to Maureen, who also got on top of the table.

Roger jumped off the table, pushing the two together, and then it happened.

Maureen had almost fallen, but Mark caught her, and his lips caught hers. She wrapped his arms around his neck, and he did the same around her waist. She pulled him closer, so her hands were now cradling his head.

A few people wolf-whistled, including some guy in the back who shouted "Way to go Mark!" Roger cheered, and Mimi just laughed at her friends' publicity. Benny and Collins couldn't help but cheer, but Joanne looked slightly heartbroken.

She covered her expression with a smile, and Michael squeezed her hand.

After a few, long moments of lip locking, Maureen and Mark pulled submerged. Maureen laid her head against his chest, and Mark felt his heart skip a beat.

It was the moment he was waiting for. It was a dream come true- but it wouldn't last forever. Mark smiled, as if shocked, but Roger noticed a proud feeling brewing up inside Mark as he beamed to the restaurant, people still cheering.

The cheers eventually died down, and the two jumped off the table, still holding one another, and Mark felt as if he had come back to New York after being on vacation in Hawaii for a week.

Mark seemed to be drifting off into his own world, when he came back to reality.

"I'm guessing you want me to let go now." He laughed nervously, but Maureen's reply made him feel good, a nice, sincere…

"No… I don't…"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I posted the last chapter late last night, so PinkElphaba, thanks for being up! Okay, here's the next chapter!

_Mark seemed to be drifting off into his own world, when he came back to reality._

"_I'm guessing you want me to let go now." He laughed nervously, but Maureen's reply made him feel good, a nice, sincere…_

"_No… I don't…"_

Mark felt the strange exhilaration once again. Maureen didn't want him to let go of her. She felt warm and loved in his grasp, and to Maureen, no one could ever love her the way Mark did, and no matter how much she would have said otherwise, she missed Mark, and the only reason she missed him was because of Joanne.

_Love always has to backfire and ruin the day,_ Maureen thought, recalling all of this information. Maureen gazed into Mark's, and together, they melted into each other's embrace without realizing it.

Finally, Maureen snapped back into reality. She held tight to Mark for a few moments, and then pulled away gently. "We'd better eat." She said, realizing the food had arrived. They sat don next to each other and ate dinner.

The movie theater wasn't too far from the Life Café, and they would be able to walk the food. Maureen pulled Mark over to the side so they could talk.

"That was some stunt you pulled in there, Cohen." She said in an impressed tone. She wrapped her arms around his waist. They obviously had a tendency to hold one another every so often.

"Good thing it worked." She giggled. Mark laughed also, but he suddenly changed his attitude.

"Yeah, I'm good." He said coolly. Maureen laughed, but her joyful expression faded at the sight of Michael and Joanne holding hands.

Mark looked from Maureen, then to Joanne, then back again. "You really love her, huh?"

"What?"

"Joanne. You love her so much…" he trailed off.

Maureen suddenly looked horrified. "Oh Mark! Don't be like that! Oh course I love her, but Mark, remember, I was in love with you at one point in my life and-"

" Yeah, I know- I couldn't satisfy you." Mark retorted sadly. "I just… I'm not getting anything out of this. I'm helping you, and then you get your lover back, but what about me?" he asked. "It'll seem like a waste of time."

Mark began to walk off, but Maureen stopped him. "Mark, stop-" she started, but Mark cut her off quietly, but in a tone that sounded slightly rude. "Yeah, I know- the sooner you get back with the Joanne, the better. Then I can forget about you, or Joanne, or our past relationship. Hell, I can't even get into a relationship."

Mark was caught of guard by Maureen's arms thrown around his neck and her lips pressed to his. He pushed her away after he finally recovered. Mark could see small tears welling up in Maureen's eyes.

"Mark, I'm sorry if you feel that way, but I never meant to hurt you, and, if I knew you weren't okay with this, I would've never asked you, because I didn't want you feeling hurt again."

The two walked in silence, a little bit behind the group. Maureen shivered a bit from the cool air. Mark sighed. He took his jacket off and put it around Maureen's shoulders, though she was wearing a leather jacket.

Maureen looked at him, stunned that he had done such a kind thing, even though he had just been hurt. "Thanks." She said softly, though her eyes were filled with sadness. Mark tucked his hands in his pockets and returned the hurt, sad expression, then caught up with Roger.

Maureen felt awful. She wanted to cry her eyes out. She wished that none of this happened. Then Mark wouldn't have been hurt, and Maureen wouldn't feel so guilty. Maureen wished Angel were still there. He would've known what to do.

Maureen caught up to the others. She wasn't so tenderhearted like this, but Mark made her happy, and when he was upset, Maureen was upset.

Maureen forced the thought to leave her mind. No way would she ever truly get back with Mark. No way, now how, no day…

But today…

She thought about the philosophy over and over. Maureen decided to let go of the subject, and threaded her arm through Mark's. He looked down at her and smiled, but Maureen could see that underneath his smile, a hurt Mark felt neglected. Mark attempted look away, but Maureen took his chin and moved it towards hers. She kissed him for a few seconds, but it was passionate.

Mark pulled away, looking slightly scared. Maureen gave a little laugh and held him close. The young filmmaker's anger seemed to fade, and he rested his head on Maureen's as she laid her head on his shoulder. Mark realized he could never stay angry with Maureen for long.

* * *

Inside the theater, Maureen held on to Mark's arm through out most of the movie. On the loudest parts, Maureen would sit on the Mark's lap and occasionally make out with him until the scene was over. (Roger had occasionally rolled his eyes and tapped Mimi to look over at them.)

The movie was about 100 minutes long, so by the end of it, Maureen's hair had been messed up a bit, and Mark's glasses askew. After a few taunts from the others, they departed and went their separate ways. Benny and Collins were the first to leave, and then Mimi and Roger went to Mimi's apartment. The only ones remaining were Maureen, Mark, Michael, and Joanne.

* * *

"So how's everything?" Maureen asked, trying to sound friendly. Joanne blinked and replied "Good. And you?" she asked, returning the question. Maureen clutched Mark's arm again and replied with "We couldn't be happier." She smiled.

Joanne gave a false smile, something that Maureen had learned to spot while she was with Joanne. Joanne realized that Maureen had detected her flaw and wiped the smile off her face. The pale moonlight reflected off the ex-lovers faces as they stared at one another. Maureen could tell that Joanne was jealous. _Come one Mark, just a little bit longer…Give me a sign. _Just then, it seemed as if a guardian angel was watching over her.

"Well, we should be getting back now- it's getting late." He commented, glancing at his watch. "Well, yes it is!" Maureen exclaimed, clinging to Mark. "We'd better get going." She turned to Michael "Nice to meet you." She added. "You too." He replied. Maureen gave a little wave to the two, and Mark waved also. Joanne gave a small wave and gave a fake smile.

Walking off into the direction of the loft, Maureen snuggled up closer to Mark. "Thank you Marky." She whispered. "You don't know how much this means to me." She kissed his cheek and leaned against him the entire way. Mark opened his mouth to speak, but just smiled.

* * *

Mark opened the door to the loft and turned the lights on. The room was still bright, due to the moonlight, which a dim light could've possibly been on.

Maureen perched herself on the couch as Mark hung his jacket on the coat rack. "Want anything to drink?" he asked, heading to the sink. "No thanks." He heard Maureen say. When he came back into the room, he found Maureen lying on the couch, her jacket and shoes off. He sat down next to her, not daring to make eye contact.

Maureen sat up. "Mark, I know you're still upset about earlier, but you have to understand that it's only temporary." She reminded him. He gave and exasperated sigh and faced her. "But Maureen! I just can't do that!" he protested. "I'm not like you! I can't just have my "ex"pose as my girlfriend, and not act like nothing's happened."

Maureen looked taken aback by his sudden outburst of feelings. She leaned against him. "I don't know how, but I want to prove to you I'm sorry." They sighed in unison, and laughed. She looked around the loft. "Could I spend the night here?" she asked unexpectedly. Mark's eyes widened. "H-here?' he stammered.

"Yeah, I really don't want to go back to my apartment right now." She replied calmly, noticing Mark was a little intense. "Oh come one Mark! Nothing's going to happen! Besides, why do you always have to be such a goody-goodie?" she asked in a childish tone.

"Nothing! It's just- just… so sudden." He finished softly.

"Mark, I swear, nothing's going to happen- besides, who said I would be in your bed?" She responded. Mark felt relieved.

Maureen looked down at her attire. "Got any clothes I can borrow?" she asked helplessly. Mark grinned and ran into his room. He came back with sweats and a long sleeved shirt, only to find Maureen, pulling her shirt over her head. Luckily, for Mark, she was wearing a crimson bra. He tossed the clothes to her and she waltzed into his bedroom. She closed the door and changed.

When she came out, Mark laughed at he clothes. He changed also, and Maureen fell onto the couch. She patted the spot beside her, signaling Mark to sit down. He did so, and rested his head on the armrest of the couch. Maureen slinked up next to him.

She placed his arm around her stomach, and Mark, once more, felt happy inside. " 'Night Marky." She said, kissing him.'

" 'Night Maureen." He murmured, before dozing off into a deep, peaceful sleep beside the woman he practically adored. Beside him, Maureen also felt happy in the warm embrace of her former lover. _Play it safe,_ she thought, and fell asleep happily.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, this is my longest chapter yet! I think... Don't worry , this story will not have any sexual content, maybe some extreme making out, but I'm not sure. I'm new at this whle thing, and this is my first RENT fic, so you know what to do! Review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: _To days of inspiration…_ I don't know, that was random, anyways, I saw this really cute screenshot on Latino Review's site for Rent that is an awesome Mark/Maureen picture! **

Okay, it' during La Vie Boheme, and Mark's on the table, and Maureen is leaning across it, her arms around his knees and her head by his thigh, and she's looking up at him, and his hand is running through her hair, and it looks so adorable, and there's another one where Mark' arms are open and Maureen looks so happy like she's about to hug him. I've never seen RENT before, so I'm not sure what part it's at, but tell me what you think about the first pic!

**Okay, hope you look, and I'm sorry there will not be a sex scene, I'm just no good at them, but during my next mar/Maureen story, I could get someone to help me. On with the story.**

The following morning, Mimi was the first to wake this time. Roger uncomfortable shifts of movements. "You okay?" she asked, shaking him gently. Roger moved a bit, and then opened his eyes. Roger sat up, feeling sick.

"You all right?" Mimi asked again.

Roger placed a hand on his forehead. "Yeah, I'm just still tired." He lied. He had had the strange dream about Mimi again, but what did it mean? Was he afraid of Mimi dying? That was probably it. Ever since the night where she nearly died, Roger had still been a little tense about Mimi staying healthy. That was something Roger thanked Angel for all the time, because if it weren't for Angel, Mimi wouldn't be there beside him.

Mimi blinked, confused. "Okay," she said, and stood up. She walked over to the bathroom and cleansed her face with water. Roger walked in and wrapped his arms around her waist. Mimi sighed and Roger put his head on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked. Mimi hesitated.

She gave another exasperated sigh. "Nothing. It's just, the Cat Scratch club might be going out of business, which means I'll be stuck with no job." Roger's jaw dropped on her shoulder.

"When did you find out?" he asked worriedly.

""Thursday night." She replied. Roger looked confused. "You'll find another job," he said reassuringly. Mimi shrugged is head of her shoulder and shook her head. "Who's gonna want an exotic dancer with AIDS to be a worker at their store?" she asked sadly. Roger caught her in his embrace again. "Mimi, don't stress yourself out. You're a great person, and you can get any job you want." He smiled down at her and placed a kiss on her lips. She smiled again.

"You always know what to say when to say it, huh?" she laughed slightly, and he kissed her again. When he submerged from it, he grinned. "What plans to you have today?" he asked, pulling his body away from hers. Mimi waltzed over to her closet.

"Oh nothing," she said seductively. and turned to Roger. "I just have work for a few hours and then I've got the entire afternoon free." She explained. Roger raised an eyebrow. "And night?" he asked. Mimi shook her head. "Nothing."

Roger smiled. "Good. Cause I wanna take you out tonight." He stated. Mimi's mile grew impossibly wider. "Where to?" She asked, pulling clothes out. Roger followed her and leaned against the wall. "I dunno…. To eat… then wherever you want to go." He finished simply.

Mimi pondered the thought. "All right then." She kissed him gently. She then pulled away and turned her back to him. She pulled her shirt over her head, reveling her bare back to him, and put on the tight, lacy black shirt. She pulled her pants down, so her underwear could be seen, and pulled the short, leather miniskirt over them. Once she finished dressing, she turned to Roger.

"Well?" she asked, extending her arms.

He walked over and put her arms down for her, and wrapped her in his embrace. He kissed her fiercely, moving his lips up and down her neck, and Mimi giggled when he reached a tickle spot. After what seemed like an eternity, Mimi gave Roger a strong passionate kiss, and then pulled away. "I have to go." She said pulled away. He watched glide towards the front door and pick up a black jacket.

"See you tonight!" she called and blew him a kiss. Roger smiled and waved, and watched as the door closed.

Back in the loft, Mark lay awake, his arm around Maureen's waist as she slept beside him. Mark remembered how beautiful and peaceful Maureen was as she slept. A lock of chocolate brown hair fell across her face and he brushed it away with his hand. This made Maureen stir.

She opened her eyes and looked forward, almost forgetting where she was, but she turned her head and looked up, staring into the face of Mark, who was smiling at her, his glasses off. Maureen returned the smile. "Morning." He greeted her softly. Maureen's eyes drowned in his, and she was silent for a few moments. Instead of speaking, she kissed him. Mark looked taken aback.

"What was that for?" he asked, stunned. Maureen shrugged and sat up. "For letting me stay here, even after I hurt your feelings last night." She said, falling onto him. She kissed him again, and Mark felt happy.

Inside, he beamed. Maureen had no clue how happy she was making Mark. Maureen rested her head on his chest and didn't bother letting go. Mark could've cared less. Mark ruffled her hair and smiled. Maureen looked up, grinning. " I'm gonna go back to my apartment right now, maybe we can stalk Joanne and then form a plan." She suggested.

Mark gave a goofy grin that w s just so adorable; Maureen felt a shiver of warmth run down her spine. He embraced her again for a few seconds, and then gently pushed her off him. "See you." Maureen called, running out the door.

Later that day, Mark had gone to the grocery store to get some more food. He was pushing a cart filled with groceries. His eyes wandered the shelves for anything interesting that caught his eye. Then he rounded a corner and suddenly-

There was a crash and Mark snapped back to reality. He realized his cart had just collided with another. "Oh- I-I'm sorry." He stuttered. He looked up at the person and he suddenly felt tongue-tied.

It was a woman and she was _beautiful_. She was slightly shorter than Mark, with elbow length strawberry blonde hair. She had a slender, curvy figure, and her eyes were deep blue. She wore tight dark blue jeans, and a royal blue tank top with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath.

"No problem." She replied. She eyed Mark with great interest. "Have I seen you before?" she asked. Mark shook his head. "I don't think so."

"What's your name?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your name?"

"Oh." Mark said, coming to his senses. "Mark Cohen." He answered. The woman smiled. She stuck her hand out and said "Maddie Harris." She introduced. She and Mark shook hands and headed to the counter. After talking a bit, they walked out of the store and into the cool, air of New York. Maddie pulled out a piece of paper. She took a pen out of her back pocket and began scribbling furiously. She then handed Mark the scrap of paper.

"Call me if you're free Saturday night." She said, winking at him. She waved bye, and walked away to her car. Once Mark had seen her drive away, Mark grinned to himself. His first thought was to go home and call Maddie and tell her yes. He pictured the look on his friends' faces as he explained to them what had just happened. Roger, Collins, Mimi, Maureen…

Maureen.

Mark stopped dead and his grin faded. Maureen. She was ruining Mark's perfect chance at a relationship. He had agreed to be her boyfriend, just so _she_ could get Joanne back, but Mark would be left with nothing.

Mark sulked back to the loft, wondering what to do.

**A/N: Sorry to cut it at there… I'VE BEEN REALLY BUSY! I'll try and update more, but yeah, so there's Chapter 7! Chapter 8's next and thanks to your reviews, I've truly been changed for the better. Wicked is awesome and so is RENT.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey my fellow readers. I sorta had writer's block, but I'm back! Okay, big news for those who don't remember… RENT COMES OUT TODAY! Pretty exciting stuff, huh? Okay, now on with the story.**

**P.S. PinkElphaba, I think this chapter might help brighten your day! Read this when our feeling down! LOL!**

That night in the loft, Mark opened the door at about seven. He was greeted by the sight of Maureen, leaning against the doorway, grinning. Mark felt a wave of insecurity sweep over him. He still hadn't found the courage tell Maureen about Maddie, and unfortunately, Maureen was early.

She glided into the room joyfully, closing the door behind her. She pinned Mark against the wall and kissed him gently. She pulled back and smiled. Mark returned it wearily. Her grin vanished at the sight of his expression.

"What's wrong?' she asked tentatively. Mark glanced up, almost praying for an answer. He looked back down at her and gently pushed her away. "Maureen… I don't really know how to begin." Maureen stared at him cautiously.

Mark took a deep breath. "Well, I've realized that, posing as your boyfriend, I've just… I haven't-" he paused and then blurted out-" It's ruining my social life." Maureen looked utterly confused. She pinned him up against the wall once again unexpectedly, causing Mark to let out a gasp of surprise.

She had a confused expression on her face, her eyes narrowed in thought. "So, let me get this straight, you met a woman today, you like her, she likes you, but _I'm _in the way."

Mark smiled meekly and nodded. Maureen had taken it better than he had hoped. She smiled and leaned in, placing a passionate kiss in his soft lips. "we've been together one day, and you're already tired of me… and you think I'm bad." She murmured into his ear, pulling him closer.

Mark realized he was in too deep. He had already fallen for her seductive lure, and there was no way out. He looked up and began to speak. "Maureen I-" he started, but Maureen placed her index finger on his lips, running it down to his chin. Her entire hand then cupped his chin, guiding his head towards hers. Their lips met again, but this time, Maureen held his head close to hers, making it last. Mar had tried to pull away, but Maureen's grip was fierce.

Maureen lightened it up a bit, and their lips were barely apart. He rested his forehead against hers as the atmosphere of the room made them both feel extremely light-headed. What was going on?

Almost snapping back into reality, Maureen realized what she was doing. She pulled away and said " Please Marky? For me?" she gave a small pout and said "Pookie?"

He had no choice but to agree. "All right." He declared. Maureen threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. "We'll just have to keep trying." she whispered, looking up at him. He nodded and pulled her up so she was staring directly at him. "You're beautiful, you know that?" he smiled, almost not believing he had just said that.

"You think so?' she asked, looking down at her body. "I really don't think I have the figure though." She murmured, looking at her behind. HE kissed her passionately to catch her attention. "That's not what I meant." He breathed in her ear once she had been frozen in the state of shock.

She then kissed his forehead. "And you're just the most adorable thing." She giggled, running her hands through his hair. Mark grinned and picked her up bridal style. He walked over to the couch, still grinning at her, and sat down. Maureen, still sitting in his lap kissed him as if there were no tomorrow.

If anyone had been watching the two once they had pulled away and laughed at one another, their immediate thought would be that the two "lovers" were drunk. Maureen felt giddy at the thought of being in Mark's arms again, yet really being in his arms. It just felt right.

Mark on the other hand, almost blurted out how much he enjoyed this, buy didn't for fear of ruining the moment. Maureen toppled over Mark a bit, almost pushing him down on the couch, though he was still sitting up. They continued to kiss, arms wrapped around each other, Mark's glasses askew and Maureen's locks falling front of her face. Soon, though, she found herself drifting to sleep in Mark's arms.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, however, she awoke, and the making out began again. Mark pulled her impossibly closer as Maureen also did so. His lips ran up and down her neck and Maureen giggled and let out a few sharp breaths, for Mark's warm breath against he rneck made her feel giddy. Maureen tugged at his shirt and then pulled it over his head, revealing a tin, white undershirt.

It wasn't until Maureen took her jacket off to reveal an_ extremely_ revealing teal top that made Mark feel a bit uneasy. It was lacy, with a floral print. But it went no farther than that. Maureen could feel the warmth of Mark's body pressed against hers, and strangely, the two realized that they enjoyed each other's company.

Since their breakup, the two hardly got along, and now, on the couch, making out. Everything seemed to be going perfect until…

The sound of the door opening could be heard, ad seconds later, standing in the doorway staring in shock, were Roger and Mimi.

* * *

**Sorry to cut it so short, but I need time to think. Mark is so awesome, and so is Maureen so I figured, put them together. I don't know where this is going, but the next chapter will involve some drama, and maybe mark will tell Maureen his true feelings. Not sure yet, cuz that might have to wait till the very end! Love you guys! Peace and love day!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay, the last chapter was basically about Maureen and Mark. Now whatever is in italics will be a flashback of Mimi and Roger's night out, just so you don't get confused.**

**P.S. Sorry to hear you won't be able to see the movie until January PinkElphaba.**

* * *

Mimi and Roger stood in the doorway, absolutely stunned. They stared in shock at the two so-called "lovers", completely making out on the couch, full out. It wasn't until Roger was able to clear his throat that the two looked up.

Maureen's eyes widened at the sight of their friend's standing in the doorway, watching them. "Damn!" she shouted, realizing she was wearing merely lingerie. She picked her shirt up and quickly out it on. Mark sat up and his jaw dropped in sheer terror.

"How long were you standing there?" he asked, his heart pounding. It took Roger about a second to recover. "Long enough, my friend." He commented. Mark exchanged nervous glances with Maureen and the two blushed furiously.

It was not the sight that Mimi and Roger had in mind as a welcome wagon when they arrived home from the restaurant.

_

* * *

Roger had taken Mimi out to a nice little Italian bistro for dinner. Mimi ordered some pasta with garlic bread. Roger had a plate of spaghetti and split the garlic bread with Mimi. Roger had had a difficult time not staring at Mimi's beauty. She had caught him and said "What?"_

_Roger shook his head and merely kissed her. Mimi smiled and said "How about we save that for private, not public." Roger grinned. "I don't know about you, but I don't give a damn who sees." He retorted, pulling her in to kiss her again. The two finished their dinner blissfully, while talking about Mimi's work, and Roger's rehearsals._

_Once they were finished, Roger opened the door and held it for Mimi. She brushed past him seductively. "So Mimi," Roger started. "What do you want to do now?". Mimi shrugged as she stepped out the door. "Wanna go back to your place?" she suggested._

_Roger raised an eyebrow. "To do what exactly?" he asked, mockingly. Mimi rolled her eyes. "I don't know! We can watch T.V. or something." She said. He slinked his arm around her waist as they began to walk home. _

"_Roger where are Mark and his lover tonight?" Mimi asked curiously. Roger shrugged and laughed at Mimi's little remark. "Who knows where the hell those two are or what they're doing." Mimi laughed and they walked home._

* * *

"What the hell!" Roger shouted, and Mimi burst into laughter. The looks on their faces were enough. "Mark, come here." Roger said in a singsong voice. Mark got up from the couch and followed Roger to the corner of the room.

"Mark what the hell do you think you're dong?" Roger hissed. Mar shrugged, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "I… I really don't know. It just sort of… happened." He finished quietly. The former junkie raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly _did_ happen?" he asked, a little more curious than upset. Mark rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Nothing." He answered, plain and simple. Roger looked amused and confused.

"But you- and her- the couch- her shirt- the sight of you two when I walked in- it was a nightmare." He stuttered. Mark frowned. "What was so wrong?" he retorted. Roger rolled his eyes and gave an expression that said, "You know exactly what."

"She was a lesbian only a few days ago, you were lonely, add the whole fact you were making out with your ex on the couch, and what do you get?" he asked rhetorically. Mark sighed and looked away. Suddenly, Roger became a bit more serious. "You're really back with her?' he asked, though it sounded more like a statement.

Mark nodded furiously. "Yes, I am, and I love her." He whispered fiercely. Roger gave a crooked smile after a moment of hesitation.

"All right." He said." If you really want her, I guess I can live with that." He finished, coming to a compromise. Mark grinned and turned away. "Oh by the way," Roger called," Get a room next time so then we'll be able to avoid this entire damn thing." He said demandingly. Mark laughed and walked into the bedroom.

Mimi pulled Maureen into the opposite corner of the room. Maureen followed unwillingly and felt her eyes grow hot with tears that she did not dare let break through. Mimi grinned at Maureen. "Wow! You're really serious about this huh?" Mimi exclaimed, punching her friend's shoulder playfully. Maureen gave a fake smile. Mimi's smile vanished.

"You do, right?" she asked. Maureen shrugged. "I really don't know." She whispered. Mimi look completely dumbfounded. "SO then, why were you just making out with him on the sofa?" she asked. Maureen shook her head and decided to tell Mimi the truth, from the very beginning…

She told her about the breakup, about the conversation with Mark at the Life, about the truth behind the night out yesterday, about how it as all to make Joanne jealous. Mimi was absolutely stunned once her friend was finished. "Well then why the hell were you making out with him?" Mimi cried.

Mimi shook her head furiously as her expression saddened even more. Mimi placed a hand on Maureen's shoulder. "You're sure you're not really in love with Mark?" she asked, grinning and trying to lighten the mood. Maureen' eyes widened and she shook her head again.

"No way!" she blurted out. "But please, don't tell anyone." Maureen pleaded. "It's okay sweetie, no one's gonna know." She commented reassuringly, rubbing Mo's shoulder gently. Maureen smiled and embraced her friend. "Thank you." She whispered. Mimi wriggled out of Maureen's grasp and grinned.

"What?" Maureen asked. Mimi shook her head, still smiling. "Nothing." She said simply before turning and walking over to Roger.

Maureen watched as her friend strode away. Suddenly, a lump formed in her throat, and she felt giddy and light-hearted. For some strange reason, Mimi's question had bothered her.

Was she in_ love_ with Mark? Or did she just find him attractive? Maureen tried and tried again to drive the thought away, but it wouldn't leave. Maureen knew it wouldn't leave until she had declared what the thought wanted to hear. Mo shook her head.

She would never admit it. Not to anyone, even herself. But as she glanced at Mark from across the room, the lightheadedness consumed her again, and the thought of her and Mark on the couch, embracing passionately filled her mind again.

But although Maureen would still not admit it, a little voice in the back of her mind told her that when the time was right, she would admit that she was in love with Mark Cohen.

**

* * *

A/N: Okay, the last part was a little strange, but it's basically Maureen doesn't want to admit she really does have growing feelings for Mark, but she does. Oooh! I wonder where I'm gonna have this end up! Also, sorry about the short little date betweeen Mimi and Roger. I didn't have much tiem to write about them, so I thought of keeping it simple for now.**

**All right, chappie 10 is on the way! Review please!**


	10. Chapter 10

The following week had been going smoothly; Mimi had kept her promise, the "relationship" had been going great, and Mark was getting closer to telling Maureen he truly did love her. But every time he had gathered up the courage to tell her, she just had to bring up Joanne.

One Saturday morning, Mark felt alone and puzzled. Roger was out of town with Mimi, Collins was teaching short-term back at NYU, and Benny, well Benny was still the idiot that he always had been. Mark sat on his bed, his sweats loose on his waist and his glasses off. He thought about calling Maureen, asking her to come over so they could talk, and it was extremely tempting.

He glanced at the phone every few minutes or so, deep in thought. He remembered the feeling of Maureen's lips pressed against his, caressing his until they broke apart for air. He remembered it clearly from the first night they had done so. Mark had felt a light-hearted surge when she had taken his hand in hers and stood on her toes a bit to kiss him. She had pulled away, a huge grin spreading across her face. She laughed at Mark's stupid expression.

He had never been kissed before, and having Maureen as a first was really more than he bargained for. That was probably his most prized memory yet. And yet, he had let Maureen slip from his grasp, and he would do his best to avoid that again, and try to turn this into a real relationship.

He picked up the phone and began to dial Maureen's number.

Back in Maureen's apartment, she began to ponder her mind about Mark, how her growing affections for him had bothered her. Mark was just so damn adorable, with his glasses hiding his soft eyes, and his ruffled blonde hair also gave him the geek chic type of look, but it didn't matter to Maureen- she liked him for who his was, although his looks were more attractive.

Maureen was still lying in bed, thinking about Mark. Everything seemed to be backfiring on her. She hadn't intended on falling in love with Mark when she should be trying to get Joanne back. Maureen felt tears forming in her eyes as she realized that for once, she was lost in love.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the phone's ring. She hopped out of bed and ran to get it.

"Hello?" she spoke softly into the phone. She was slightly surprised to hear Mark's voice so early. "Hello?" he replied back. "Maureen?" he asked.

She smiled as if he could see her. "The one and only she whispered into the phone as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Mark thought of something to say. "Maureen- we need to discuss something." He said quietly, and Maureen felt her heart sink.

Déjà vu. It was happening all over again. He was about to dump her, and she felt as if she were about to burst out into a fit of uncontrollable sobs. "You're dumping me aren't you?" she asked just as softly as Mark did.

On the other side of the line, Mark gawked as he sat there on his bead. "Maureen, I didn't- what are you- how could you?" he stammered. He had so many questions about why she had thought of that so abruptly. But she was Maureen, and there was no telling which conclusions could be drawn in her head from a simple statement..

"Spare me Mark." She said fiercely, a sob escaping her lips. She could feel her body getting tense. The thought of Mark calling because of something else crossed Maureen's mind, but it never came out. "Mark forget it. I'm not in the mood, and don't want to hear it." She shouted into the receiver, and hen hung up.

On the other line, Mark blinked. _That was fast,_ he thought. He then groaned in agony as he realized that this meant telling Maureen the truth.

Maureen then froze merely seconds after she hung up on Mark. Her eyes became misty again and she wanted to call an say she didn't mean those mean things. She longed to touch his pale skin, tell him she truly cared, and that it was more than act, but even she didn't know what was happening, let alone Mark.

She then began crying, the tears coming from no where. Maureen to run to Mark's door, begging him to let her in, but instead, Maureen fell asleep and wondered what her actions had done.

**A/N: Okay you guys, I just want to let you guys I'm totally thankful or your reviews and constructive criticism. They've been helpful and I'm sorry if this chapter's so short! I intend on the next one being longer and soon. Thanks you guys!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey! What's up! Well here's the next chapter. Hope y'all like it! Thanks for all your support so far and love you! Jennie**

Mark took a deep breath. He opened the front door and stepped outside. It was only about an hour ago when Maureen had gotten mad at him over the phone, and then hung up. He had finally persuaded himself to go over and apologize. He realized that he was going to hate himself after this, but it was worth it.

It didn't take him long to get there, but when he did, Mark started having second thoughts about the entire thing. _What if I say something wrong? _He thought._ What if I cause her to get mad at me even more? Even I couldn't be that stupid, _reassured himself. Taking a deep breath, and his heart beating furiously, he knocked gently on the door.

Maureen could only tell who was at the door, and ignoring the fact of how badly she didn't want to open the door, she did so. She sighed at the sight of Mark.

"Yeah, what now?" she asked, sounded more rude than she intended to be. "Can I at least come in?" he asked. Maureen glared at him for a moment, but then let him in. After an awkward silence, Mark began to speak:

"Maureen, listen. I wasn't trying to break up with you own the phone." He stated, simply and clearly.

Maureen seemed to have smacked herself inside. Mark ignored her facial expression and continued, his gaze not meeting hers. "And I just wanted you to know that I would never do anything to hurt you." He said, a bit soft. "And anyways we weren't even really going out.' He laughed.

Maureen felt heartbroken a bit.

Mark walked over to her and took her hand in his. Maureen didn't want to look at him, but she did so, as he took hold her head and turned it so it was facing his. "Maureen, I-" he started. There was an awkward pause. Summoning up his courage, Mark began to lecture a bit:

"Maureen, I don't where to begin. Since we became "a couple" he said, using his fingers to indicate to emphasize the word ,"it's been… wonderful It's felt as if we really were back together. " Maureen felt her heart flip a bit at the thought of Mark enjoying their entire scheme. Mark let go of Maureen's hand and he placed it on her cheek instead. Maureen seemed frozen in the state of shock.

He tucked some of her chocolate locks behind her ear, getting a better look at her. "Maureen, I don't know why. I just miss the way you would do your best to support me, the way you would tell me you loved m, and I just miss all the fun we used to have." Maureen felt her eyes stinging with tears at how much emotion Mark put into his words. Apparently, he noticed her tears and wiped them away with his finger.

Maureen threw herself at mark and he caught her off guard. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Automatically, his arms circled her waist, and Maureen seemed to cry silently into his jacket. He rubbed her lower back comfortingly. Mark opened his mouth to speak again.

"Maureen I just wanted you to know that if you ever need me, I'm here for you." He insisted. He kissed the top of her head. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. Maureen shook her head. "I'm just… not feeling well." She lied.

Mark took a deep breath. "Maureen. I have something to tell you." Maureen looked up, her tears nearly gone. Mark felt his face grow red and he couldn't seem to get the words out. "Don't worry Marky. Just go on." She whispered, leaning against him for support. Mark closed his eyes and said the three magic words…

"I love you."

Maureen looked up confused. "You mean, real love?" she managed to get out. Mark gave a nervous nod. "I'm sorry Maureen." He blurted out. "It's just that I never got over you and it always hurt so badly to see you with Joanne, and I've tried so hard to make my time with you perfect, but now you probably hate me even more

Than before and-" he rambled on, but he was caught of guard as Maureen's lips met his.

After about three seconds, Maureen pulled away. Her expression wasn't upset, but thoughtful. She buried her head in his shirt again and mumbled something. She then turned her head so Mark would be able to hear her. "Mark, I…I…" she began, but suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Maureen glanced at Mark, whose arms were still wrapped tightly around her. She escaped his grasp and headed over to the door. When she opened it, Collins was standing in the doorway. "Hi!' Maureen greeted him, throwing her arms around his neck. Collins hugged her back. He then caught Mark on the couch.

"What's going on here?" he asked slyly. Mark blushed. "Nothing." He replied simply. "Uh-huh." Collins remarked smugly. He then turned back to Maureen. "Thank god I'm back here." He said. He had returned from teaching at NYU for the past week or so. "Let's go eat." He announced. The two agreed, and out the door the went. Maureen felt a bit relieved that she hadn't expressed her feelings to Mark just yet. But the feeling of him still loving her made her weak and gullible.

Once on the street the three friends laughed, catching up on everything that had happened. They were about to cross the street, when tragedy struck. "Let's go," Marks aid, once the light turned green, but that was al he remembered, for there was a loud screech, then the sound of Maureen's scream, and Collins yell. The Mark felt a rough pain hit him.

He collapsed onto the ground , gasping for air. The sudden loss of breath made him weak. Suddenly, his vision became blurry, and he remembered Collins' face above him, saying "Don't worry." The Maureen's face even closer saying, "Marky hold on. It'll be okay." Then her soft lips against his, and Mark's vision darkened completely as he fell unconscious.

**

* * *

****A/N: Oh my god! Mark! How could I be so cruel? Mark's too adorable to lose! Thanks for all your suggestions guys! I just saw the movie- Mark/Maureen fluffiness! Okay, next chapter will be up soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Okay! I'm back from after a short delay! So I was at school in my musical theatre room during rehearsal and I was really giddy at the time. SO when I read your sweet little reviews, I couldn't stop laughing and I don't know why! My friend Heather was watching me secretly and was like "Okay…" but while I was laughing, everyone looked at me and it was so embarrassing!**

**Okay, so on with the story! (MARK!)**

When Mark opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a blinding white light. He gave a little moan and turned his head. He realized he was in a hospital room, and his head hurt badly. He began to stir and then heard two familiar gasps.

"Mark!" a woman's voice shouted.

He spotted Maureen running towards the bedside, tears of joy forming in her eyes. She wanted to kiss him, forget this ever happened, and let everything go back to normal. "What happened?" he asked groggily. Maureen looked into is eyes. "When we were crossing the street, some driver didn't see you and hit you." She explained. She advanced to a small chair and sat down.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked quietly. Maureen gave a sad sigh and shook her head. Mark could se one tear silently running down her cheek. "Yu don't know how horrible it was to watch you get hit and then, you just- fell and... me and Collins… we thought you- you-" Maureen couldn't bear to finish the sentence.

Marl was hit by a true fact like a bolt of lightning. Maureen cared- she really _did_ care. And Mark… naïve Mark- unable to realize it in the first place. Maureen stood up from her chair and glided to his bedside, tears running down her face more frequently. She placed a hand on is soft cheek. Mark nuzzled her hand. Maureen took a deep breath.

"Mark don't think that just because I dumped you that you don't matter to me, because you do, and I'm constantly remembering how well you treated me, and how you didn't deserve to put u with me, and I just… I just…" she started, but couldn't find the right words. She gave a dramatic gesture with her arms as she pulled away from him.

She turned away from him and her body shook with anxiousness. _Come one! Stop babbling and spit it out!_ A voice inside Maureen's head commanded. Maureen bit her lip and turned to face Mark walking slowly over to his side. "Mark, I'm not sure how to say this but…" she started. _Say it! _Maureen took a deep breath and…

Mark looked away as he realized this was going nowhere. Maureen felt sad that he had just ignored her like that. Her expression grew upset until finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore…

"Mark, I love you!" she said loudly.

There it was. Her days of confusion- her strange feelings whenever he was near. It was out in the open, and a layer of relief swept over Maureen as Mark's eyes grew wide. "No…" he mumbled. Maureen nodded.

"No way!" Mark said in disbelief. Maureen nodded even more fiercely. "But it's true!" she protested. " It's really true!" Mark folded his arms against his chest, which he realized he shouldn't have moved so fast because his entire side was badly bruised. his face had a smirk plastered on it as if not believing her, which was true.

Maureen scowled. "For a while now, I've felt as if we'd gotten closer. " She twiddled with her fingers. She got on her knees so her face was at level with his.

"Mark, I'm gonna say this once last time, and if you don't believe me, then leave me. I love you." Her soft eyes seemed to burn into his and Mark realized that she was telling the truth. His eyes widened slightly. "Maureen…" he started, but Maureen placed a finger to his lips. Moving closer so she was only about three inches away, she said:

"Take me or leave me Mark."

**A/N: Sorry about the delay! I hope you guys liked this chapter and I'M SORRY IT'S SO SHORT! I SWEAR THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE LONGER!**

**Okay, love all my reviewers and please stay with me right now!**


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Okay, I'm back with a new chapter. I'm sorry to say that the story is almost over, and I'm so sad cuz this is my first RENT story, but I have like two new ideas for others, so right when I finish this story, I'll take a break for a week or so, and then start writing a brand new story! 9For all those Mark/Maureen fans, rejoice!)_

_Okay, so here's the next chapter and love you all!_

Maureen sat on the side of mark's bed, declaring her love for him. Mark was absolutely speechless. He wasn't sure if he was ready to be with Maureen again. After all, there was no telling whether or not she would dump him for a woman in rubber. Mark sat down, walking aimlessly in her dark hazel eyes. Maureen sat, waiting for an answer to escape him.

"And you're really… sure about this?' he asked, sounding a little hesitant. Maureen nodded. "Positive." Mark placed a hand on her cheek and Maureen closed her eyes and smiled. "It can't hurt to try again." He declared.

Maureen grinned and leaned over to kiss him softly. She did and pulled away slowly. Mark blinked a few times before letting his eyelids droop and finally close. He had just heard Maureen's voice saying "I love you Mark." for a second time before drifting off to sleep.

A few days had passed. Maureen, now officially going out with Mark, moved in with him. Mimi and Roger came back from their trip and when Maureen had told Mimi about the entire thing, Mimi gave another ear-piercing shriek. ("I'm so happy for you!" she said.)

Collins' life had been going well, and he moved back in . Mark had never been happier in his life, except maybe the time when he had first met Maureen. Now, she was all he could think about.

Maureen adored Mark. Every time he crossed her mind, e light-hearted and a goofy smile always ended up plastered on her face. Whenever she was upset , he would sweet-talk her into something, and her reply was always, "Why the hell do you have to be so cute?"

Roger began to encourage their relationship more and more, and Mimi never got tired of it. Collins was constantly rubbing it in Mark's face that he was right about him still loving Maureen. Everything seemed to be going well; Mimi had found a new job at the Starbucks down the street- Roger had made a few CD's and sold them- Maureen had gotten a few more gigs and Mark was always there to film them.

One Saturday morning, about a week and a half later, Maureen awoke next to Mark. She felt loved against his warm chest, slowly moving up and down as he slept. His slow heartbeat was droning, but in a good way. Se could tell her curls were tickling Mark from the way his body moved. "Mark?" she asked, nudging him a bit. He shifted and opened his eyes.

He smiled at her and Maureen kissed him gently. "What's up?" he asked. Maureen shook her head. "Nothing. I was just thinking how I went from trying to get Joanne back to getting back together with you. I'm glad it turned out that way. She was getting dull anyway." She joked.

Mark kissed her fiercely and Maureen pulled away, and rested her head on Mark's chest. Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the peaceful moment. Maureen slowly got out of bed. "I'll get that." She said, putting on a robe.

She strode over to the door, on a winning streak. Nothing could possibly bring her down, nothing, except for the fact that when she opened the door, there stood Joanne, a smile on her face.

_Sorry it's short! I promise the next chapter **will** be longer! I've been having writer's block, and a new story is in the works! There are only about two chapters left, so I'm sad. But good news is- I may get the Elphaba part in Defying Gravity for our big show! Yay! We're using a lift and everything! I'm trying so hard!_

_Anyways, I'll try to update more and luv ya'll! Also I don't own anything by the way._


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Hi all! Okay, I've decided on it! THIS IS IT! The last chapter! WAHH! Okay, I'm really sad, but I have another one coming up, and it's a cute little story filled with fluff! Yay! And I hope you can guess who it reflects on. wink Okay, thanks everyone for being so supportive and thank all of you who stayed to finish the story, especially after all my busy weeks of rehearsal, so here's a little treat for you before the story ends and love you all dearly! By the way, kittykat, we can so relate to getting those parts! Love you all , again! Signing off- Elphie

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Grr…

* * *

Maureen's jaw dropped slightly as she stared at Joanne in the doorway. 'Hey Mo," Joanne greeted her. "Oh… hi." Maureen said, a bit flustered. "How'd you find me?" she asked, trying not to sound rude. Joanne shrugged. "I don't know. I checked the old apartment, but you weren't there, so I cam here." She explained. "Mind if we talk?" she said

Maureen shrugged. "All right then. I'll go change and be back." Joanne smiled as Maureen walked back to the bedroom, curious to what Joanne was up to. Maureen took her robe off and put on black jeans and a navy blue jacket. She leaned over and kissed Mark. "I'll be back soon." She whispered. "Okay," the filmmaker muttered. Maureen smiled and went out to Joanne.

The two had decided to talk at their old apartment so over there, Maureen sat on the couch, legs crossed. Joanne closed the door and turned to Maureen. She glided over to the couch and sat next to Maureen. She placed an arm around her shoulder and leaned against her. _Uh-oh,_ Maureen thought, realizing what was gong on.

"What's going on?" Maureen asked nervously. Joanne kissed Maureen's neck and Maureen tried hard to escape from Joanne's lure, but she was stuck.

Maureen tilted her head back, but mumbled. "Where's Michael?" Joanne stopped and looked her former lover. "He said he wasn't sure about our relationship and he needed time to think." She stated simply.

"But…" Maureen started, but she was cut off by a passionate kiss from Joanne. Maureen fell back on the couch, Joanne on top of her. Joanne wrapped her arms around Maureen's waist and Maureen cradled Joanne's face in her hands. _This is wrong,_ she thought,_ I shouldn't be doing this, I have Mark…_ she stopped and thought for a moment. _Maybe I could stay with Joanne for a while, but then break it t her that I just couldn't leave Mark, yeah, that could work…_

Joanne pulled Maureen closer to her, though it was near impossible. Maureen let out a few moans as Joanne kissed her neck. "Joanne…" she started, but Joanne didn't seem to hear. Joanne made an attempt to pull off Maureen's jacket, which she did, so know Maureen had a blue spaghetti strap on. Maureen ran her fingers through Joanne's hair as Joanne continued to trace kisses up and down Maureen's neck. Maureen made another attempt to fight back, but it seemed all hope was lost, and the rest was a blur…

* * *

About three hours later, Maureen awoke. She felt as if she had had a horrible nightmare. Joanne had come back and had tried to get back with Maureen, but it didn't take long for Maureen to realize where she was.

She gasped quietly as she found Joanne's arms around her waist, Maureen wearing a black bra and black underwear that showed off her curvy figure, and Joanne, her gray bra and underwear sagging as if they had been tugged on. Maureen realized that they were on the couch still, a blanket over their legs. _At least I didn't wake up naked, _Maureen thought. Suddenly, Joanne awoke.

She gave Maureen a passionate kiss that Maureen reacted to immediately. She jumped off the couch and stop up, not realizing how cold the room was. She stood up, but her face had a bit of a smile on it. Joanne grinned. "You're beautiful, you know that right?" She asked. Maureen shook her head and sat down next to Joanne.

"Joanne, I- I just… can't do this." She said sadly.

The smile on Joanne's face vanished. "Why not?" she asked. Maureen took a deep breath. "Because I'm with Mark." She said. "And you know that." Joanne looked confused. "You're really serious?" she asked, dumbfounded. Maureen nodded. "I'm sorry Joanne, I just…I mean we did have some great nights together, but Mark, he's just… so, so…" Maureen said, gazing into space. Joanne placed a hand on Maureen's knee. "Good for you, but I just have one thing to say."

"What's that?"

""Fooled you!"

Maureen looked taken aback. 'What the hell?" she asked. Suddenly, Mark burst through the door. "Ha!" he exclaimed, but turned slightly red at the sight of Maureen in her underwear. Joanne laughed as Mark ran over to Maureen and picked her up bridal style, placing a passionate kiss on her lips. Maureen pulled away and licked her lips. "Okay, what happened?" she asked.

Mark placed her back on her feet, but his arms were still around her waist, and her hands cradling his head. "Well," he said. "Just for kicks, I had Joanne test you to see how loyal you are to me." He laughed. Maureen laughed and pulled him into anther passionate kiss. She smiled into the kiss and Mark laughed and pulled away for a second. She ran a hand through his soft blonde hair and analyzed his face. "You're so adorable." She whispered.

"You too," he replied. "Especially in your underwear." He added. Maureen laughed and kissed him again. Joanne stood up and laughed. "Maureen, I'm sorry, but I'm happy with Michael." She began putting her clothes back on. Mark let go of Maureen and helped her pick up her clothes. She put them on quickly and walked over to Mark.

He slipped his arm around her waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Thanks Jo," Mark said. Joanne laughed and said. "Get out of here you two." They all laughed and the couple walked out the door.

* * *

Night had begun to fall. The two had decided to take a walk. On a bench in the park, Mo's head still rested on Mark's shoulder. "Mark?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm really lucky to have someone like you," Maureen confessed. "I love you Marky." She murmured. "Me too." Mark replied. He was telling the truth. Maureen was pretty, talented, and now was proved to be a loyal girlfriend. Mark couldn't be happier.

Maureen knew she really was lucky to have Mark- truthful, adorable, loyal, wonderful Mark- she trusted him with her life and always did. Maureen told herself that she would never hurt Mark again, not today, not ever, and neither of them wanted to hurt each other. They always followed the old philosophy, one that kept them together at times. Maureen grinned and into Mark's shoulder and whispered the philosophy to herself and Mark.

"No day but today."

THE END!

A/N: Okay you guys! That's it! Kinda cheesy, but I thought, hey we need a cute ending to a cute story. So that's what I got. The last chapter was kinda random, but I found it amusing in a way. Okay, thanks, you guys rock! VIVA LA VIE BOHEME!


	15. Author's Note

Jennie

Author's Note:

Okay, quick question: Should I write a sequel to my most popular story, "LOVE BACKFIRES"? The thought is nagging me and I would like an answer,. If you liked the first one, will you please tell me what you think! I would really appreciate your answer! Thanks again to all that read my story!

-Elphaba


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